2015 Fantasy Football Outlook: Antonio Brown

This is the fourth in a series of looking the Pittsburgh Steelers and how they will fare from a fantasy football perspective in 2015.

I now move to the wide receiver position and perhaps the best wide receiver in the game in Antonio Brown.

Brown has had a two-year run that should make him the top receiver going off the board.

Two years ago he finished with 110 receptions, 1,503 total yards and nine touchdowns. Last season he even improved on those numbers by adding an additional 19 catches, 208 yards and five touchdowns.

Only two wide receivers- Randy Moss (2007) and Calvin Johnson (2011) – have put up better all-around numbers in the past 10 years and in PPR formats, Brown’s 2014 season was the second highest scoring of all time, just slightly behind the 1995 campaign from Jerry Rice.

While it is possible Brown may not meet those numbers again, he will turn in another big season, especially in the Steelers offense.

With that in mind, where should you be drafting him?

Currently Brown is the No. 1 wide receiver off the board and has an ADP of No. 6 overall.

That means you are going to have to get him very early.

Pros– Everyone knows the Steelers want to get Brown the ball, but no one can do anything to stop it.

During the past two seasons he has caught 36 more passes than anyone else in the league. That’s huge, especially in PPR formats.

Pittsburgh has the explosive offense that you would want from a guy that you may have to draft No. 1 overall. The Steelers finished second in the NFL in passing a season ago and only five more teams threw more touchdown passes.

I would expect that to continue with Ben Roethlisberger at the helm and Todd Haley in charge of the offense.

Cons- There really aren’t any drawbacks with taking Brown. You know what you are going to get.

If I had to nitpick it would be the emergence of Martavis Bryant and Markus Wheaton could cut into Brown’s numbers a bit, but it wouldn’t be enough to talk me out of pulling the trigger on Brown at the top of any draft.

Projections- 118 receptions, 1,550 yards, 10 touchdowns

Verdict- Brown is an easy one to analyze as he is the top fantasy wide receiver in the game. While others such as Johnson, Julio Jones, Dez Bryant and Odell Beckham Jr. will go very high in drafts, Brown should be the top receiver taken.

In PPR formats he should be the top guy off the board. In standard formats Brown shouldn’t last past No. 5 overall.

If you want him you must get him very early. You won’t be sorry as Brown is one of the safest picks out there.